Zimbabwe continues to be an interesting case for studying how real economies work as opposed to those imagined by politicians and Reserve Bank governors. The unofficial exchange rate of the Bond dollar (a piece of paper printed by the government) to the US dollar is now 3:1. Hard currency discounts are available almost everywhere. Fifty percent off your meal for payment in US dollars seems a bargain, but the restaurant is making a handsome profit if it buys goods and pays staff in bond dollars. The gouging of tourists is unfortunately the name of the game. In Victoria Falls hotel rates are eye-watering and the payment office to the falls park looks like a casino. Where in the world do you have to show a passport to enter a national park to determine how you’re going to be ripped off? Bernard BensonParklands
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